Returning to work after maternity leave can be a challenging transition for new mothers. From an employer perspective, it’s crucial to create a supportive environment that welcomes back employees with open arms. Creating a positive experience for mothers returning to work will not only help you to retain valuable talent but promotes a workplace with a family-friendly culture. Here’s our guide to making the process as smooth as possible.
Make sure all policies are up to date
Most importantly, make sure your maternity and paternity policies are up to date and include flexible working practices. This includes details of how a member of staff can return to work after maternity leave i.e. phased return or hours to help when the child is settling into a new environment or routine.
Plan for a smooth transition
Before the employee goes on leave, plan for their return. Create a transition or handover plan to outline how their responsibilities will be handled on their return and how they be reintegrated when they come back to the workplace. A designated person should be their contact point during maternity leave to handle any questions or updates during that time. Some businesses we work with have implemented a three-month handover between the maternity leaver and their cover split between pre and post maternity leave. This has allowed them to ensure a rigorous process where everyone feels supported and informed.
Stay connected to your employee during their maternity leave
Keep the lines of communication open whilst the employee is on maternity leave. This will help them to feel connected to the workplace and keep them up to date with any significant changes or developments. It’s important to find the right balance between staying in touch and giving them space in this new period of their life. A good way to achieve this is to send periodic emails with updates on team activities, company news or important projects.
Keeping in Touch (KIT) days connect the employee to the workplace and can be scheduled around their new timetable. If appropriate, invite them to planned social events to maintain their sense of belonging. Even if they can’t make it, being invited shows that they are still part of the team.
Create a re-onboarding process for returners
Plan the return so that it is smooth and organised and the returner doesn’t feel overwhelmed or disconnected. Some mothers can feel imposter syndrome kick in during the first few weeks back, something as an employer you can help them navigate.
In some of the businesses we have worked with, employers have used a Parenting Passport – a document that aims to start a conversation around the needs of parents at work and the flexibility required to maintain a balance between caring responsibilities and the work role. This details their situation (i.e. how many children), their expectations and what support they anticipate they will need. It can be a really useful guideline for a manager so that they are not second guessing what’s required, and an easy way for the employee to ask for help without having to raise it as an issue. They can be used by any parent, or expectant parent, for whom parenting responsibilities may impact their work, both now and in the future. The document is supposed to be “live” and therefore reviewed at regular intervals, or if the nature of the job or parenting responsibility change.
Create a buddy system
A buddy system allows fellow returners to support each other. However, there are a couple of pitfalls to avoid if you’re implementing a buddy scheme. Firstly, it’s essential to ensure that they are allocated time in their working day for buddy meetings. Otherwise, you could be in danger of overloading them with more tasks in addition to their existing workloads. It’s also essential to recognise the work they are doing as a buddy, otherwise it could be seen as a chore. Finally, it should be properly backed up and supported by the business – rather than as an alternative to other support. When setting up the scheme, set clear objectives – what should the buddies get from it? What’s the purpose? How frequently should they meet and what are the implications for their working time?
Offer flexible return options
Flexibility is key to returning options for new mothers adjusting back into work after maternity leave. All employees are entitled to request flexible working, with no length of service required, so be sure that your policy reflects this.
Provide a supportive environment
Coming back to a supportive environment can make a significant difference to a returner. This can include:
- Ensuring a dedicated private space for nursing or expressing milk.
- Access to parenting resources: such as support groups or workshops. At Bespoke HR we partner with a wellness provider Wellness Cloud (all our clients have free access to it for their teams) but it has specific parenting sections for employees: https://the-wellness-cloud.com/parent-cloud/. It has everything from breastfeeding guides to mini first aid. They also have monthly webinars around topics like ‘returning to work with confidence’.
- Family friendly socials.
- Access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) that provide counselling and support for new parents.
It’s also important that managers are trained appropriately so that they understand how to support their staff. This includes recognising the signs of stress or post-natal depression.
Celebrate their return to work
Acknowledging and celebrating the return of an employee can help to boost morale and make them feel valued. Offer a welcome back gift or a team lunch / coffee on their first day. You can also acknowledge their return in a team meeting or company newsletter.
Support career development
It’s vital to make sure that the employee feels supported in their career progression. Hold one to one discussions about their career goals and any adjustments that they may need. Mentoring programmes can also help provide guidance and support when transitioning back into work. Regular feedback sessions can also help line managers gauge how the employee is feeling and address any issues they may be experiencing.
Finally, this goes for all staff but it’s essential to create a positive work/life balance for everyone. Encourage staff to use their annual leave, set realistic targets and encourage them to take part in wellness initiatives and activities.
Creating a positive experience for mothers returning to work after maternity requires thoughtful planning, open communication and a supportive environment. By implementing these tips, you can ensure that your staff feel valued, supported and ready to contribute to the workplace once again. Investing in these efforts not only benefits employees but creates a loyal and motivated workforce.